Going through my mom’s jewelry collection is one of my favorite things to do. She’s been a collector for decades, and digging through the bags and boxes of fine, costume and vintage jewelry is only made more exciting when she decides she can part with a rarely worn item…and I’m there to snatch it up!

This little brooch is one of those items. It’s a vintage piece of costume jewelry, made of rhinestones in the form of a dangly military badge. I thought it was wonderful, but I struggled to find something that would match it’s toughness, so it sat all alone in a jewelry box for way too long. I thought about putting it on the Banana Republic silk camp shirt, but I was afraid it would leave stretched holes in the delicate silk. Then this military style tweed jacket came along and I knew instantly the brooch had found it’s new home.

Giving new life to vintage family pieces is such a wonderful feeling! Not only are the jewelry pieces amazing, but you feel like you have a little piece of your grandma with you. Will we be seeing any on your blog? :)

I will definitely be wearing some of the other pieces. The locket you already saw is my favorite. There are just some other cute older chains that I have been layering. Unfortunately, some of the pieces are missing a stone. Like the cameo brooch! :( And there is another jewelry box with the cameo pendant somewhere in my parent’s garage…buried. I would love to take some time to help my dad go through everything so I can find it!

I also adore to raid my mother’s (substantial) jewelry collection – it’s so great for inspiring new outfits and rehashing old ones. There’s just something wonderful about vintage jewelry, whether it be costume or designer or whathaveyou.

Love the way you’ve paired this brooch with the blazer, the two work together well.

I see that you are wearing a Sinequanone jacket, which is a low middle range french brand.
You are wearing a size 36, does it fit you all right?
If it does so you are taller and broader than me because size 36 is usually too large for me and I wear a size 34. But yet it all depends of the cut and the shape of the garments.

I would be interesting to know as it helps to know whether what you US women call petites are so really… petites in terms of size.

Hi evenge66! I would probably fit a size 34 in this jacket better, but the smallest I could find was a size 36. Sinequanone is not a brand that is usually carried by retailers in the US…I happened to find this in a discount store by happy accident. Luckily, the shape of this jacket is meant to fit a bit boxy, so I can get away with wearing the size 36, but have considered getting it altered.

In the US, petite, when it comes to shopping for clothing simply means short. I’m am 4’11”, which roughly translates to 150cm. But, you can be petite and be as tall as 5’4″ (163cm). You can be any size, from a 00 to a plus size and be petite…you just have to be short.

I know it’s hard for international readers to get an idea of just how small some petite bloggers are, since you don’t have the same brands we have here in the US, and the metric conversions can be confusing. If you shop H&M, I can fit in size EU32 (US2) if it runs small, and I’ve never found anything at Zara that fits, even in the smallest sizes.

I love that blazer! I’ve been thinking of splurging on a Theory blazer as this summer’s blazer purchase, but I can’t seem to bite the bullet. But I can’t find a cheaper alternative either! I may have a go at the outlet and see if I can find something.

Which one are you looking at? One of the classic “gabe” style ones? You can definitely find those at the outlets, and if you wait for a holiday weekend sale, might be able to get it for a decent price.

I’m looking for a statement or non-traditional style blazer. I have my eye on the “Lanai” right now and have been quietly stalking the Zara website for something that catches my eye. The Gabe actually doesn’t fit me in well at all. It sits very awkwardly on my shoulders. When looking for one of their classic style jackets, I always have to look at all the other styles and avoid the Gabe (I thought it’s supposed to look great on everyone??).

No worries, I look awful in the Gabe as well. I figured it was because I’m so short, and thought you might look better in it than me. Glad it’s not just me! Yes! Zara! They’ve had some great blazers that look way more expensive than they really are. I’ve been stalking the TRF line for one (or two, or three) to pop up that catch my eye. I saw the “Lanai” and wasn’t too impressed. I think you’d find a better one at Zara.